Finding Crystal Tokyo
by JPandS
Summary: Uneasy leaders anticipate chaos with the unsuspecting death of Neo-Queen Serenity. With no heir to the throne and uncertainty as to whether the cause of death was natural, the Sanq Kingdom, Crystal Tokyo royals and a group of unknown women arise.
1. Chapter 1

The world was quiet. Soft sighs and heavy hearts huddled reverently from their spectator positions respectfully looking on to the funeral service commemorating the Queen whom they had all came to trust and adore. Golden locks and piercing blue eyes were the features of the departed Queen that would always remain in the minds of her people alongside her generous heart and flawless kindness. The genuine nature of her care and tenderness had touched numbers insurmountable for claim and for this the people mourned. The world had been so peaceful ever since she first appeared to them. Silent tears were shed as the crystal white casket was lowered carefully into its final resting place.

What would they do now? How could they hope to continue on without her? Flocks of white doves were released from their cages, the fluttering of their angelic wings rendering the foreboding aura of sorrow into a submission of finality. Neo-Queen Serenity had passed. She was truly gone. Stillness was all that could be seen, the men and women dressed in black unable to move themselves from this grave. Eight subtle figures stood at the front of the crowd, each ones head lowered. Their distinctive symbols marred the jewels of the rings that belonged to the court of Crystal Tokyo, the court of Neo-Queen Serenity. With rising uncertainty, they watched as the casket disappeared beneath mounds of dirt. The world would be looking for new leadership and at the forefront they would be responsible for the answers. The indigo hues of Venus' tower glanced anxiously towards her peers who all hung morose in their stance. _Great Venus_, she thought to herself. _Please help me._

Apart from the burial site, a woman stood, her blonde hair billowing with the wind. Her eyes were focused on the scene, her hands subconsciously clenched with anxiety. Things had happened so unexpectedly and when she received word of Neo-Queen Serenity's death she could hardly believe it was true. Guilt-ridden and anxious, she found herself watching the funeral half hoping that the news was false. Unfortunately, it did not appear so.

Her body tensed as she felt the presence of a newcomer beside her.

"You shouldn't be here," the newcomer said. The blue hues of the blonde woman scanned her new companion and nodded.

"Neither should you," she replied. A sigh escaped from the lips of the amethyst-eyed priestess as she silently agreed.

"I couldn't keep myself away," she admitted. The blonde woman gave a weak smile before again returning her attention to the funeral.

"None of us could."

As if on cue, two more women appeared beside them, each observing the event. Troubling thoughts plagued each of them, their minds constantly riddled with questions of whether or not their past actions were wise. What they had done was kept tightly under lock and key, the only ones knowing the full details of their choices being they themselves and six others.

"It was so strange," the blue-haired spectator remarked. "She was so young and healthy, her death seem to come out of no where."

They all gulped, sweat beads forming across their brows.

"They say she died of natural causes," the blonde spoke.

"_They_ may be lying," said the raven-haired priestess.

"It is possible she kept her ailment a secret as to not burden the public with concern…" the blonde spoke, still not wanting to accept that the Queen's passing may have been due to something other than what was published.

"Possible," the blue-haired woman acknowledged. "But unlikely. We chose carefully, their health was essential in the process. I examined her myself and could find nothing. Do you really think she could hide it that well?"

A groan was heard, eyes of three women settling on the tallest who leant uneasy on the shading tree.

"Mako-chan?" the raven-haired woman spoke. "Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry," the brunette hastily apologized, frivolously waving her hand to excuse her action. "Its just that I can't help but automatically assume that the cause of death was…" she drifted off, unable to find a word to embody what she was trying to say. She shook her head. "Never mind."

Awkward silence ensued, their thoughts now refocusing on their past.

"Do you think we did the right thing?" The blue-haired doctor quivered as she asked. An undeniable sense of blame was felt as she pondered her own question.

"Of course," the raven-haired priestess responded. The group was not convinced however, as they stood now sinking into a lower pit of insecurity.

"You don't think we were being too selfish when we decided?" Makoto's emerald orbs darkened with pain as she vocalized her opinion. The steady beating in her chest ached as she awaited someone's response.

"No," the blonde interceded decisively. "I think it was necessary."

Further inquiries were disbanded as the appearing leader resonated with an aura of command. The three around her nodded resolutely, before peering at the conclusion of the ceremony.

"We should go now," the blonde spoke. "Its not good for us to be seen together." Her blue eyes were tinged with pain as she turned to the three women she had grown so attached to in the past. It hurt that she was not able to see them as often as she would like and even now when they were together, she couldn't help but feel remorse because they would have to part ways and pretend like they had never known each other.

Her body had taken control, as her mind scolded her incessantly for her submission. She gripped tightly around the three astonished women who slowly but surely returned her hug. These were her friends, some of the few that she had left and she couldn't withhold the urge to hug them at least once before they again disappeared.

"You guys take care of yourselves." She could feel tears threatening to fall but forced herself to remain dry eyed.

"You too, Minako-chan."

Smiles were exchanged as they walked their separate ways. Pangs of regret pierced through each of them. For a decision that had supposedly been so right, they sure felt terrible about it.

* * *

"Milliardo?" A voice rang. "Are you alright?"

The platinum strands of the man shifted as he turned to face his sister's concerned navy eyes. "Serenity's remaining court members have asked that we meet with them to discuss the Queen's passing."

Relena nodded expectantly. She had figured this would happen since the Queen had no heirs and no order was in place to dictate who would be next to take the throne. The Sanq Kingdom had ruled peacefully alongside Crystal Tokyo for six years and though the Peacecrafts themselves were content with Neo-Queen Serenity's rule, they still were troubled by the fact that they knew very little about her origins or even the structure of her court.

"Are we attending, then?"

Milliardo bobbed his head. "Yes." A moment of silence followed before he again spoke up. "Inform the pilots, won't you?" He said. "I want to get the most out of this and it would be helpful to have them there." He turned back towards the window and stared mindlessly. "This is a daunting time," he murmured. "Peace may not last much longer…"

**My apologies…**

**Another story…=(**

**I'm sorry…**

**But, it would be nice if you reviewed =) I'm kind of in a funk now, my other stories are receiving much of my undivided attention but when I go to write unfortunately nothing much comes out so I'm moving at a snail's pace…hopefully it'll come faster soon!**

**Anyways, thanks for reading!**

**JPandS**


	2. Chapter 2

The honey blonde strands of the blue-eyed woman lie limply against her pale skin. So much debate and discussion had taken place over the past few nights that she had trouble adjusting to the sudden influx of duty. After years of playing a mild role in the kingdom as the Head of Defense, she was accustomed to having very little heated arguments and turmoil. However, with the passing of the Queen, each of the royals could be found bickering unceasingly about what should be done.

She herself felt peeved, the idea that in a moment's event their court could so easily turn to chaos. The women were split in their ideas; some believing Venus should resume control of Crystal Tower since she was the leader under Neo-Queen Serenity, some believing they should appoint another Neo-Queen Serenity and some who believed they should seek out the mystery women for guidance or some type of solution. However, the fault with the latter solution included fear that doing this would uproot the world in a fit of distrust. People often hated to be lied to and though Crystal Tokyo and its current rulers had done well in maintaining peace, they would still find something to riot about.

"Lady Jupiter." The woman looked up from her desk towards the man at the door.

"Yes," she replied meekly.

"Your children have returned safely and are now in the study with their tutors."

Satisfied; the ruler of Jupiter's tower nodded.

"Thank you, Hitsuke." With a bow the man disappeared to leave the woman again to herself. She skimmed the contents of her desk, the unrelenting distress inside prodding her to restlessness. With a resigned sigh, she lifted herself up and walked towards the kitchen.

Why hadn't an order been put in place in case Neo-Queen Serenity died without an heir? Now that she thought about it, even if one of the planetary towers were to have a royal pass there was no outline to dictate who would resume their position. She grimaced. All these years they had worked without a single thought on the matter and it would seem that those years of foolish neglect were now rapidly catching up to them.

"Lady Jupiter, it's a surprise seeing you in here so early. I usually only expect late night visits from you," the emerald eyes of Crystal Tokyo's finest chef glittered with kindness, a refreshing change compared to the looks that had been shared between the royals these past days.

Lady Jupiter gave a half-hearted smile. "I've been under a lot of stress lately," she admitted. "And it seems the kitchen has become my haven from it all. By the way, Mako-chan, I believe I asked you to just call me by my name."

Makoto flushed a bit before nodding. "It's a hard habit to break," she smiled. "Sorry Sally."

"Its nothing to be sorry about." Her eyes shifted with surprise as she saw the brunette push a filled teacup in her direction. "I thought you weren't expecting me?"

Makoto shrugged. "I wasn't, but I still try to be prepared for any type of situation," she winked grabbing a wet glass and drying it with a nearby washcloth.

Sally Po's heart for the first time in a while felt appreciative. This brunette chef had been a blessing in her life ever since she arrived about two years ago. She was a local small business owner, manning a bakery/flower shop. In efforts to expand her business, she had applied to work inside Crystal Tokyo believing that it would increase interest in her little shop. Unfortunately, it seemed that cooking inside the kingdom was no extraordinary feat and Makoto was left with little to no heightened interest in regards to her shop from other consumers. However, it didn't seem to faze her. She remained as happy and humble as she first was seen to be. For this, Sally Po made sure to help her financially with anything she or her business needed.

"Don't you have any liquor to ease this stressed woman's nerves?" Sally Po smiled.

Makoto shook her head disapprovingly. "Alcohol is never a good answer," she reasoned. "Besides its too early in the day, you still have people to speak with. I would hate to be the one responsible for getting you drunk and having you do something you might regret."

"I wouldn't drink _that_ much," Sally Po voiced. "A simple shot of vodka would do."

Still, Makoto would not allow it. "Drink the tea, Sally. It'll help ease your tension without hazing your judgment like alcohol would."

Exhaling in defeat, the honey blonde woman took the tea in her hands. "If I come by later this evening, may I have alcohol?"

Makoto laughed. "I'll think about it."

With a smug smile, Sally Po took a sip of the tea and closed her eyes in submission to its soothing properties. Makoto was right; it did ease tension. Her body melted in content with the steady beating of her heart as she continued to drink. Makoto was a blessing in deed. Had she not been there for these past years, then Sally Po was certain she herself would have been driven to madness. The conflict she had inside about the position she agreed to take never left her but with Makoto to speak with, she felt at ease and relieved that there was someone she could confide in and not have to worry about them sharing with others.

"Well," Sally Po said, standing up reluctantly. "I best be heading to my meetings."

Leaving an empty teacup and an appreciative glance, Sally Po exited. Makoto watched her disappear behind the door of the kitchen and sighed.

* * *

A blond man stood, uncomfortably shifting his weight on his feet as he waited at a closed door. He had been knocking for some time and though the neighbors often gave him awkward looks for his failed admission that no one was inside, he still kept at it.

"Dear boy," an elderly woman finally chimed in. "Can't you see she probably doesn't want to speak with you?"

The man frowned, his cerulean blue hues turned with sorrow. "Did she say she didn't?"

The woman heaved a hefty breath. "Well, I do believe I heard her say something like 'that baka better not show his face, or he'll be sorry!' But, other than that, I don't think she actually said she didn't want to speak with you."

Still frowning, the man nodded. "She said that, huh?"

"Yeah," the woman replied. "And if I were you, I'd stay away from her for a while. She can be pretty vicious."

The blond man sighed, the woman taking in how innocent he appeared in comparison to the last few men her neighbor had dated. He was handsome too, not to mention well mannered. Most of the time if her neighbor was angry, then another angry person was quick to show at her door, which was not the case this time. This young man had still withheld a certain aura of civility and quality. Maybe, the young miko behind that door had finally stumbled upon someone worthwhile…

"Hmm, well good luck," the woman murmured as she recognized he had no intention of leaving anytime soon. She shut her door.

The blond man stood, with his hand raised again to knock and he did. To his relief, the door swung open to reveal a fiery young woman with scathing violet eyes.

"What do you want Quatre?" She asked bitterly, his chest stinging at the coldness in her voice.

"Rei, I wanted to apologize about last night."

"Apology not accepted, go away!" She said slamming the door but it didn't shut. Quatre's cream hand could be seen holding the side and she angrily thrust it back open. "Would you please let go of my door," she demanded more than asked.

Quatre would not back down. "Rei, I wanted to be there, but—"

"You got a last minute call for an important meeting," she finished. He winced taking notice of how often he had used that excuse; but it was true! He had every intention to meet her last night for their date but was called by Relena to meet at the Sanq Kingdom for an urgent meeting.

"Rei," he started but again she cut him short.

"Please Quatre. I've been patient with you for a long time but I can't take it anymore. It's obvious you're just too busy to include me in your life. Let's not make this any harder than it has to be," she said trying to sound as civilized as she could.

It hurt her, yes, that he often stood her up for last minute meetings. Had he himself not been so kind-hearted and genuine, then she would have left him a long time ago but he was just so attractive to her and those blue eyes, gah those blue eyes were mesmerizing! Every moment she had with him, her life felt so fluid, so complete…that is until she was reminded that he had other duties that would always keep him from her.

"Rei," he was deeply pained, his cerulean blue orbs pleadingly begging her for another chance. She couldn't look at him because if she did, she knew she would give in. She tensed, his hand somehow finding its way inside her own. She closed her eyes, her heart immediately melting at the mere touch of his skin.

"Okay," she couldn't deny him, her violet eyes looking at him with uncertainty. "Okay." She pulled her hand back signaling for him to come inside and he did. With a sigh she ran her slender fingers through her ebony hair and took a seat.

"So," Rei said. "You've apologized. Now what?"

"I'm going away for a while."

Rei groaned in frustration, her head immediately burying itself in her hands.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"I want you to come with me."

Rei stiffened, her eyes slowing peering up at him as she contemplated his words.

"What?" She asked.

"I want you to come with me," Quatre repeated, his body vacating a seat across from her.

Rei sighed and looked away, her fingers playing with her bangs. Most of the time, when he said he would be gone for a while, it meant he had to leave and she couldn't know where he was going. However, it appeared this time was different. Why was it different?

"Where would we be going?" Rei questioned, her eyes peeking at him from the side.

"I want it to be a surprise," Quatre smiled. Rei's curiosity was triggered as she continued to think.

Work was easy to leave. She had a lot of unused vacation hours that her boss had threatened to force her to if she didn't take time off herself and really her bills and what not had been paid off for the month. Going with Quatre would give her an opportunity to spend more time with him and now that he had mentioned the word "surprise" she was starting to get more and more excited by the minute.

"Alright," she said, still keeping hidden her rising interest. "I'll go."

Quatre was blanketed with relief.

"When do we leave?"

"Tonight," he answered.

"Tonight?" She snapped and he nodded. "How am I supposed to be ready by tonight?"

"Just pack what you can," Quatre suggested. "And if you forget something I can always buy you a new one when we get there."

Rei frowned, crossing her arms.

"Fine," she gave up. She did not want to argue anymore about the short notice he had given her and rushed to her room to pack with Quatre in tow. She couldn't help but smile as she watched him carefully rummage through her belongings, a shade of pink brushing his cheeks, as his first drawer chosen happened to be of her unmentionables.

"Here," Rei smirked devilishly as she draped her arms lazily over his shoulders to reach inside. She could feel him grow tense at her close contact and to make him more nervous, she rested her chin on his shoulder and whispered lushly in his ear. "Do you like this one?"

She held up a set of red laced under garments, the color nearly matching the one that had marred his flushed cheeks.

Quatre gulped.

"They're nice," he stated for lack of a better response. She grinned. He was always quite the gentleman, that's probably what made her so attracted to him. She kissed his cheek with adoration and smiled.

"Then I'll be sure to pack it so I can use them for you later." She laughed to herself taking notice of his now speechless demeanor. She and Quatre had yet to actually venture into that part of their relationship, holding hands, hugging and kissing being as far as they had reached but it was fun playing with him to see his reaction. This trip was definitely going to be eventful.

* * *

Trowa Barton was skeptical about the situation. Crystal Tokyo's royals were very secretive and the thought they were now opening their doors to the Sanq Kingdom seemed rather suspicious. However, his curiosity exceeded his suspicion as one particular "royal" often found her way into his thoughts.

Catherine Bloom. Six years ago, she was nowhere to be found only to suddenly appear as the princess of Neptune's tower. She had said very little to him and while he stayed reserved about the whole situation, he couldn't help but wonder how exactly she could be royalty when the years spent in the circus left not a single hint.

"Trowa, long time no see!"

His verdant eyes rose to land on the chestnut haired pilot who still plaited his hair in the same style.

"Duo," he acknowledged with a curt nod. They shook hands and walked together to meet the rest of pilots and the two Peacecrafts. Once there, they were surprised to see an unfamiliar raven-haired woman standing rather close to Quatre.

"Hey Q-man," Duo greeted. "Who's the babe?"

Immediately, the gorgeous woman raised an eyebrow in his direction. She never liked men that used pet names like "babe" to address women and she certainly was not impressed by his first appearance. Biting back her offended stance, she calmly replied.

"Rei Hino," she said. "Quatre's girlfriend."

Duo looked shocked and wasn't afraid to show it. With a broad grin he patted the blushing blond on his back in approval.

"Great job, Q-man! I didn't know you had it in you to get such a hot babe!"

Rei's jaw clenched but she did her best nonetheless to disregard the comment. Soon enough, they boarded the plane, Duo thankfully sitting far from Quatre and her. The destination was still yet to be discovered, but Rei didn't mind as she gazed fondly on her blond companion. He had fallen asleep, the day of tending to her every need fatiguing him along with the tasks he had to complete for Relena prior to the flight. Everyone else seemed so pensive and tense but she couldn't adopt the same feeling for herself. Instead, she lovingly left a soft kiss on Quatre's cheek before snuggling into him to sleep.

* * *

Strange. Everything was strange. People were changing at rapid speeds and her heart was racing all the more. She grimaced as she tried to shove the head-splitting details to the back of her mind, effortlessly cranking her wrench here and there to mend the busted down machine. This was how she passed her time in these strange hours by fixing old things that no one had use for. She was the main mechanic of Crystal Tokyo and even started to slowly expand her knowledge into the medical field. As the figurehead of Mercury, her tasks always geared towards more mentally stimulating things so she found it easy and somewhat necessary to learn about health care and all its precepts.

Shaking her head she continued to tinker with the machine. So much was at bay just waiting to engulf her. Neo-Queen Serenity's death, feuding court members, confused citizens, and the list went on. How she of all people came to be in this mess was perplexing. After all, she was merely a soldier once with great mechanical skills but after the war she really was no different from every other average person. She had a skill like everyone else and she lived normally like everyone else. Why then had she been chosen? How was she chosen?

The memory itself seemed surreal, the fact that she now resided in one of the world's most revered kingdoms not completely setting in though it had been almost seven years. She was at home kicking off her shoes after a hard day's work and ready to shower when she felt the presence of someone else.

_"Don't be afraid. I have not come to harm you."_

_"You're telling me," the unsuspecting girl replied. "You're in my house without my permission standing in the shadows! That's a sure sign you can't be trusted."_

_"Please," the woman begged. "I promise I mean you no harm."_

_The young female frowned releasing a big sigh._

_"Well then," she mumbled. "Go on tell me why it is you've broken into my house, criminal."_

_"I have a proposition."_

_"Oh geez," the girl grumbled. "Those are the worse set of words ever to come out of a stranger's mouth. No thank you!"_

_She waved off the shadowy figure and walked into her kitchen grabbing a soda from her fridge. Some people these days made such weird assumptions about her. Why on Earth would she need someone to come propose a deal to her? There was nothing she needed. She turned to find a seat at her table and jumped when she came face-to-face with a fair-skinned girl who had large blue eyes._

_"A little close there, aren't you?" the girl said but it seemed to fall on deaf ears._

_"You must hear what I have to say before you decline."_

_The girl frowned as she heard this, looking pointedly at the stranger before hesitantly nudging her to continue._

_"You have a good heart—"_

_"Well yeah I do a lot of cardio," the girl interrupted but the stranger hadn't meant it that way._

_"I mean your heart is pure. You also have strong morals along with a strong mind."_

_"Yeah I guess," the girl muttered half-heartedly. "What of it?"_

_"The world is need of those types of traits."_

_"HUH?" The girl was completely lost, her interest disbanding as she immediately declared this stranger a mental head-case. "I think it's time for you to go now, goodbye."_

_She tried to push the stranger out but she would not budge._

_"Hilde," the stranger spoke. _

_The said woman looked up, lips pressed into a fine line as some indescribable feeling coursed through her. She felt like she had to listen. Though she had thought the whole thing crazy she knew somehow that this stranger was serious._

_"What?" Hilde reluctantly responded._

_For a time, the stranger hesitated before speaking looking as though she herself was marred with guilt and uncertainty as if what she was doing might not have been good. But with a determined look, she shook it off and continued._

_"A new ruler named Neo-Queen Serenity is immerging and she needs guardians to help her spread peace. These guardians are known specifically by their planetary names. I want you to assume the role of Lady Mercury."_

After that things became a bit hazy, half because Hilde never believed it was really going to happen and half because Hilde was shocked that it really _was_ happening. She did her best to try and fill the shoes that had been left for her to fill though she really had no one to be compared to other than her planetary guardian peers. Whether they all had similar stories she really didn't know since they each kept to themselves for the most part. She was surprised to find familiar faces amongst her but it quickly faded as she recognized their experience had honed in greatly to complete their duties as the court of Crystal Tokyo's Neo-Queen Serenity.

The girl was such a sweet spirit, always kind and gentle. It was easy for Hilde to want to protect her and even easy for her to keep the secret of how she came to be the ruler of Mercury's technologically advanced tower. However, now with the Queen dead she had no clue of how to go about things. One thing was certain though, the big blue eyes of the nameless stranger that had chosen her for this position haunted her and she could not rest without feeling the desire to find her.

**Hmm…I think I'll stop there. So what do you think? Confusing? Interesting? Let me know! =]**

**Anyhow, thank you all for your reviews (JW Jump, nadeshiko-yuna, Athena Kyle, angelic. acquarian and IkariPanda)! I truly appreciate it! Questions or thoughts about the story are always welcomed! Thanks for taking time to read this!**

**JPandS**


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